Milwaukee, WIIn February, SAG and AFTRA commenced bargaining with the Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies Joint Policy Committee (JPC) on Broadcast Talent Union Relations for a successor agreement to cover 135,000 employees who make television and radio commercials. Negotiations proved fruitless and management declared impasse, having refused to address any of the unions' three major demands:
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"Pay-Per-Play" for Cable: The industry refused to negotiate any aspect of a "pay-per-play" formula for cable commercials.
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Monitoring: The industry refused to commit to any monitoring system to ensure that payments to employees who perform commercials are accurate.
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Internet-broadcast and cable commercials used on the Internet: The industry refused to recognize AFTRA/SAG as the exclusive bargaining agent for employees who perform in commercials made directly for the Internet.
In addition, the industry demands elimination of the 40-year-old practice of "pay-per-play" for network television commercials.
Management's positions on these critical issues seriously threaten the wages and living standards of SAG and AFTRA members. This is especially unconscionable because the industry is earning enormous profits attributable in large part to the skill and talent of its SAG and AFTRA employees.
On May 1, with a 93 percent authorization vote, the unions struck the 175 member companies and over 200 advertising agencies represented by the JPC. SAG and AFTRA built a campaign fund to finance their struggle for a fair contract. The unions have established picket lines at commercial production and post-production facilities and have planned an extensive public campaign that emphasizes the importance of ordinary performers to the industry.
The nationwide comprehensive campaign that SAG and AFTRA have launched requires extraordinary resources and the support of the entire labor movement. Therefore, the AFL-CIO and its affiliated unions will provide all appropriate assistance to SAG and AFTRA and their members in this critical battle.